Cassian was in the room when she returned. The moment the door was shut behind her, he stood from where he sat on the bed.

She opened her mouth to speak, and he nodded. Relief flowed through her. He'd passed along the message. If she wasn't able to escape soon, it wouldn't be long before she succumbed to one of Klaus's offers.

"We have to be ready whenever," he said. It could be tonight, or it could be a week from now. Or maybe a month . . .

"Will you be gone by then?"

He frowned. "I told you I wouldn't let you go to the Frozen City. I can't very well do that from Eiraacia."

She scuffed the floor with her shoe. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to avoid it. And you know that you eventually have to become the Tooth Fairy."

Crossing his arms, he let out a snort. "It's a shame fallen teeth disturb me." He tilted his head, his lips inching to the side.

"That's very unfortunate for you."

"It just means I should be delaying the inevitable for as long as possible."

"If you help me with this, the consequences for you are going to get so much worse."

With a shrug, he walked toward her. "If I go head-to-head with Winter now, maybe they won't bother me when I do take my mother's place."

"Cassian?"

He stilled.

"Are we going to talk about yesterday?"

"We both said we fear trusting the other. It's best we both forget what else I said."

"And what you did?"

He flinched. "If I die without an heir, my family's magic dies with me."

"So after you have a kid, then you're okay with dying?" The words were as harsh as her tone.

"I want to trust you, Faryn. You saved my life on that train."

"And you've saved mine."

"And you don't trust me either."

"But I do." The words fell from her lips before she could think of what she was saying, yet somehow deep down, she knew they were true. Maybe this was what those other Elves had felt before meeting their fate at the hands of a Fae. Though she knew if she were in danger, Cassian would do everything he could to get to her. And if she were chained beneath the Frozen City, he wouldn't forget about her. He would try to get her out even knowing it would be all be in vain.

He turned toward the bed. "I wish I could say the same."

Faryn's hands tightened into fists. "You could at least not act afraid of me when I have no weapons, and you're the only one who can control their magic. You"—the word was almost a snarl—"have the upper hand as usual."

In the span of a blink, he faced her, his eyes narrowing. She titled her chin up and matched his glare.

A second later she was pinned to the wall by her wrists. Her eyes widened as she tried pulling free.

Cassian's nostrils flared as he held tight.

"If this is all some demonstration to show me how I actually have the upper hand because my hands are higher than yours, then congratulations, Cassian, you're very clever. Do you want me to say you won or something? Would you like a ribbon?"

There was a rumble in his chest, not quite a growl but still clearly a warning.

She sighed. "Or is this so you can prove that I shouldn't trust you either?

His lips stretched in a cruel grin. "Is it working?"

She rose on the tips of her toes bringing her closer to him. "No."

This time a growl did slip out of him as his eyes dropped to her lips.

"This is revolting."

Both Faryn's and Cassian's heads snapped to the now opened door. Klaus and Jack stood near the doorway, each looking very unhappy to be here.

It was Jack that had spoken. They should have heard them come in. They should have smelled them.

Faryn had been so caught up in Cassian that she had let her guard down on the world around them. She had realized she trusted Cassian, only to realize she couldn't trust herself in his presence.

Cassian didn't release Faryn. "Can I help you?" His voice was low enough to chill the air as if he were Father Frost.

Klaus clapped his hands behind his back. "Might I inquire whether you were about to rip my sister's head off."

"It definitely involved something with head," Jack muttered.

Faryn felt her face flush, and she had no way to cover it with her hands still trapped above her.

"We were chatting," Cassian deadpanned. "Are we not allowed to?"

"We'd prefer not, actually." Klaus walked toward them, and guards entered the room, filing behind Jack. Klaus's eyes slid to Faryn's, and she wanted nothing more to shrink in on herself in that moment. "I can be quite accommodating, sister, when Acurials work with me. But when they don't want to cooperate and accept my generosity, my patience wears thin." He raised his hand, and the guards came toward her. There were six in total.

Cassian released her hands only to push her behind him.

"You will be moved to new quarters, more befitting someone of your station."

"My station?" Panic worked its way up her throat, tightening the channel as it crawled higher.

"Why should a commoner stay in a bedroom in a castle? Not only that, but you're a fugitive, a suspected kidnapper and murderer.

She clung to Cassian's shirt, planting her feet firmly in the ground. She needed her magic. Right now. She needed to make sure they couldn't pull her away, drag her off to wherever it was they deemed her worthy of inhabiting.

"And what of me?" Cassian asked.

Striding forward, Jack created a ball of snow and tossed it between his hands. "Lucky for you, you were born an heir. Faryn was born heir to nothing." The snow melted and formed into an icicle. "How sad."

Where were Peter and Clíodhna? One was always there when Klaus wanted one of them moved.

Faryn stepped around Cassian and eyed her cousin. "If something happens to you"—she raised her brows—"does that make me the next Jack Frost?"

Her cousin's gaze turned murderous. "Is that a threat?"

"Just a question. Though I suppose I should be flattered to have struck fear into the Great and Powerful Jack Frost. Faryn Frost, sounds nice. Almost . . . right, doesn't it?"

Klaus had to throw his hand out to stop Jack from grabbing her.

"You don't have the power to even begin fulfilling my role."

"If by power you mean knowing how to be an ass and a dick, I think I could probably manage those even without the latter."

The scent of the room changed. Where before it had been that of Elves, a Fae, and Jack and Klaus, there was a new scent of oak and elm. Faryn's eyes snapped to the corner.

There, in the corner across the room and surrounded in black mist that was quickly evaporating, was Aurelius. His eyes were a dark brown. They were not the endless blackness they could be, and he was without his horns. For the briefest of moments, Faryn felt as if she might cry with relief before she remembered here in Ruhnerium, before Niklaus Claus, he would not act as a friend to her.

"Ahh there you are, Klaus." Brushing off his sleeves, he crossed the room. His eyes never flicked to her. Did he know Clíodhna? Would he recognize his power in her if he saw her? And would he feel threatened?

"Aurelius." Klaus sounded tired. "You've come just in time to help me." He motioned to Cassian and Faryn. "Cassian, Flozzie's son, and Faryn, my sister."

Aurelius's lips twitched as he looked at her. "So, you're the infamous one."

Her hands itched to go for his neck, to strangle him. He had always been a friend to her and now he was denying even knowing her. And she knew why. Klaus was the more valuable sibling in his eyes.

Faryn crossed her arms and gave him a once over. "And I suppose I'm supposed to be terrified?"

The current Krampus shrugged. "Boo?" Her heart wavered; she could see part of the friend she had thought she knew so well peeking out. He was the Acurial who had always been like a brother to her and now he was standing beside her half-brother and he might as well be the monster under her bed. "What do you need my help with?" he asked Klaus.

"Escorting Faryn to her new accommodations."

"And you don't have that covered?" He motioned to the six Elves and Jack. "Or is the boyfriend giving you a hard time?"

By the time she sensed him move, it was too late. Cassian already had the collar of Aurelius's shirt in one hand. Faryn yelled his name, but Cassian slammed his fist into Aurelius's jaw right before Krampus used a burst of his fog to throw the Fata across the room. Cassian collided with the wall and slid down, hitting the floor with a thud.

As she sucked in her breath, fear coursed through her. Out of the corner of her eye, the Elves were coming for her, but she had to get to Cassian. She ran for him, but as she passed Aurelius, his hands wrapped around her waist.

No.

A second later he hissed, and his hands were no longer on her.

She kept moving until she was crouched in front of Cassian. He groaned, and she took that as a good sign. Better he made a sound than none.

"Cassian?"

He opened his eyes slowly just as Jack's arms wrapped around her and dragged her away from the Fae. She struggled against him, but he froze his hands to her shirt, burning her skin underneath. She choked on her cry of pain.

Cassian tried to pull himself up but collapsed.

"Just let me make sure he's okay." Her eyes watered at the pain Jack's hands were causing. He didn't let her go, instead pulling her farther away from Cassian. Soon the guards closed in around her, blocking the Fata from view. She struggled but she was no match for Jack.

He took her down below the castle where the furnishings in shades of chocolate were replaced by iron bars and frozen stone. The cell Jack threw her in had only a bucket and a thin blanket. She hit the ground, scraping her hands on the stone. Even with him no longer touching her, Faryn's skin felt blisteringly cold.

As she scrambled to her feet, he slammed the door shut. She wrapped her hands around the bars. Even if she had full control over her powers, she wouldn't be able to break out. The bars would have been reinforced to be able to contain those with magic.

Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. Faryn's shirt was wet where he had frozen his hands. Her muscles ached. Her skin felt raw.

"Consider this practice for the Frozen City."

He left and the Elves fell in place around her cell. Some of them had to have powers otherwise they wouldn't be trusted to guard her.

She slumped against the blanket. It was cold down here, even to her. But the Frozen City would be ten times worse. She'd be there soon; all her hopes for freedom locked away with her.

And so our heroine wastes away in a dungeon, never to be seen again . . .